By Dr. Ronnie Floyd

When you make a decision in your life, how do you know it is the right thing to do?

Quick decision making often results in poor decision making. Conversely, long and drawn out decision making can paralyze your life as well as others who look to you for leadership. Is there a way to know we are making the right decisions in life?

Preparation is really one of the important things about decision making. I believe that when you passionately walk with God daily, it prepares you for decision making. The power of Christ will see you through every decision you make.

Ask yourself:

Question #1: Do I have a word from God’s Word about this decision?

When the trucking magnate J.B. Hunt was alive, he used to read the Bible through about once every 18-20 months. As a former truck driver who founded the powerful company J.B. Hunt Transport, he would tell me as his pastor and friend, that the Bible was his roadmap for life. As he read it, God would make clear to him where he needed to go and what he needed to do.

The Bible is the GPS for your life. You do not have to walk in the darkness of decision making. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” God’s Word always shows us God’s way! Be confident, the Holy Spirit never leads you away from God’s Word. Some decisions you do not even need to pray about because the answers are already clear in God’s Word.

Therefore, get a word from God’s Word and stand upon it.

Question #2: What would Jesus want me to do?

The life of Jesus Christ always sheds light on your decision making. Jesus brings clarity. Through the lens of His gospel story, the will of Jesus becomes crystal clear. Stop and ask yourself: What would Jesus want me to do? 

If the decision represents His character, then it is probably right; if not, it is wrong. Call upon Jesus to bring clarity in your decision making.

Question #3: Have I valued what others have told me?

Receiving counsel from godly and holy people can help confirm a decision or lead you to question a decision you are about to make. Godly counsel can help you if you are willing to listen to it. Ungodly counsel will never help you.

Therefore, seek only the counsel of people who are mature in the Lord, walk in His Word daily, are prayer warriors, and have a proven life of healthy decision making.

Question #4: Have I saturated this decision in prayer?

Go to God in prayer before you go to anyone else about it. Then, when you receive godly counsel from others, you will be more in-tune spiritually to hear it. Then take their counsel to God in prayer because ultimately, God must lead you regardless of the counsel you have received from others.

Pour your heart out to God in prayer. Plead before Him, asking Him for a word from God. Commit to honor Jesus through it all.

Question #5: Am I willing to trust the Lord through it all? 

Is this really your prayer? May His Kingdom come and may His will be done on earth in our decision making, even as it is being done right now in heaven! 

We must pray believing this and be more than willing to walk away, trusting the Lord with whatever occurs.

If the door closes or it becomes more than obvious it is not right when you hoped it would have been, refuse to ask why, resenting the decision and becoming discouraged.

God knows what is best for us even when we do not know what is best for ourselves.

I thank God He has not answered every prayer in my life like I thought He should have! My shortsightedness and selfishness would have limited God’s work in and through me.

When we really understand the words from Jesus below, we will trust the Lord Jesus through all of our decision making. Jesus said in Revelation 3:7, “Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens.”

Jesus opens doors in your life that no one can close.

Jesus closes doors in your life that no one can open.

Yes, you can trust Jesus in your decision making.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the CEO of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, former President of the National Day of Prayer, and author of more than 20 books.